Scuba Diving Cathedrals 1, Lanai, Hawaii

Scuba Diver Silhouette

Entering Cathedrals

Diving Cathedrals I off Lanai

  Cathedrals is one of the best dive sites in Hawaii. Not only do you get an incredible cavern experience, with eerie blue light illuminating this underwater 'cathedral', but once you are outside there is wildlife everywhere, from rare nudibranchs to bandit angelfish.

Divers Exploring Cathedrals

Cathedrals Dive Site, Lanai, Hawaii

  This is also one of the best places in Hawaii for underwater photography. It takes some time to balance your camera settings for the low blue light but the rewards if you get it right can be amazing. And while the empty cavern looks cool enough, having some of your dive buddies swim under some of the skylights brings a better perspective to the different rays of light flooding the chamber.

  Luckily our dive guide was pretty laid back about Heidi and I hanging back from the group to continue getting pictures inside. And being the first group in is very nice because the other groups hadn't stirred up the silt. It just seems like another world down below cast in an ever-twilight.

Titan Scorpionfish

Crown-of-thorns Sea Star

  Once out of the cavern our eyes had to adjust, but then we were shocked by all the color. Huge schools of yellow fin goatfish traveled in tight groups while raccoon butterflyfish swam close to our eyes, darting in and out of view. A huge titan scorpionfish sat motionless on the reef, waiting to ambush some unlucky prey. Then the 'find of the day' came with a beautiful frogfish, also sitting motionless on the reef.

  If you ever find yourself diving in Maui, make sure you take this half day dive trip over to Lanai. Living in Maui and having all of this free diving on my doorstep, I would still pay to go on a boat to this dive spot because it is so different than anywhere else.

Frogfish